On the outdoors.

Illegal Dumping By Barges Cause Of Polluted Illinois River

July 13, 1995|By John Husar.

If you've ever fished the Illinois River around Starved Rock, you know the scent. A vague, unpleasant tinge of ammonia. Just months ago, we'd think of millions of upstream toilets flushing, but now we know better.

Ever since the river's cleanup began years ago with improved municipal sewage systems, the Illinois' fishery has rebounded. White bass, walleye and sauger now crowd the upper reaches. But still there was that occasional nasty scent, and sometimes you'd swear the fish tasted funny.

Well, according to Illinois Atty. Gen. Jim Ryan's office, now we may know why. State lawyers say barge companies illegally have flushed dirty, polluted wastewater into our rivers for years.

Matt Dunn, chief environmental officer for the attorney general, said barges routinely ship coal and ammonia-nitrogen fertilizer compounds upstream and take on cargoes of grain for the return trip. Since those barges must be washed out before grain is loaded, Dunn said many companies merely have flushed the polluted wastewater into the river instead of making proper disposal arrangements.

A five-day stakeout by state police, conservation agents and EPA inspectors allegedly caught one company red-handed. Dunn said a prominent Illinois firm and four employes have been indicted with four felony counts of polluting the waterway.

Dunn said Thomas Park of Utica, a former district manager, and American River Transportation Co., a division of agricultural products giant Archer-Daniels-Midland Corp. of Decatur, face a July 21 arraignment in LaSalle County Circuit Court in Ottawa. A barge captain and two deckhands were charged in two counts.

"Until now, there has just been a handful of prosecutions for pollution related to barges," said Doug Rathe, an assistant attorney general in charge of the case. "It's been a really common practice."

Dunn said barge companies pump river water into the holds, send an employee inside to slosh it around, then pump it back into the river. "Obviously, this can have an adverse effect upon water quality and the fisheries," Dunn said.

Misdemeanor charges also were filed alleging the company pumped bilge water from tugs into an abandoned, leaky barge, further polluting the river. Dunn said the company escaped felony charges in that case because the oily bilge water failed to meet strict classification as hazardous waste when it was tested.

An Archer-Daniels-Midland spokesperson said the company would not comment on the allegations other than to announce that Howard Buffett, a corporate vice president and assistant to the chairman, has resigned.

From the game wardens' blotter: When a dimwitted Minooka youth was caught shooting a Canada goose this spring with a .410 shotgun, he told conservation cops it happened to be a bigger target than the robins and blackbirds he normally pursues. . . . A Rock River boater whose passenger drowned in a capsizing near Dixon Dam was charged with a Class 3 felony when his blood alcohol level measured .24. He also was accused of overloading the jon boat and providing insufficient floatation devices. . . .When cops saw a fellow back his boat unsteadily off Rock Island's Sunset Park ramp, angrily driving the boat across his trailer, they tracked him down and, sure enough, he flunked a blood alcohol test. . . . Three Lake Holiday anglers trolling for muskies in the "danger" zone above the dam had the presence of mind to dive over the side and swim for safety when their engine conked out. Their boat was found smashed below the dam. . . . A houseboater was charged with abandoning his watercraft when it sank in the Illinois River at Cargill and a salvage company had to pull it out. . . .A 6-year-old boy was hospitalized for two weeks with deep propeller leg cuts when he fell out of his father's boat when it hit a Lake Michigan wave. The father was charged with failing to attach a lanyard safety strap.

This 'n' that: Illinois deer hunters can expect some 151,000 shotgun permits to hit the mailboxes sometime next week. New over-the-counter archery permits are due in the stores by August. Meanwhile, fall turkey hunters have until next Monday to apply for the first drawing. Spots in 24 counties are available. . . .A 24 1/2 inch, 7-pound, 2-ounce largemouth bass was taken last Saturday from Shabbona Lake by Steve Foster of Sycamore. . . .Since baseball has lost its luster, the most promising north-south rivalry in Chicago may develop in Perch America's friendly "North vs. South" open fishing match from 5 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Registration will be at a table near the concession stand at Montrose Harbor and at the 95th Street boat ramp in Calumet Park. And may the blessed South Side win.

Lost in space: When Chauncey Niziol encountered a tie-died "Deadhead" camping at 5 a.m. alongside the Planetarium before last weekend's Grateful Dead concert, the fellow had only one question: "Hey, Buddy, what lake is this?" Chauncey, who was at the lakefront in search of perch, said he blew a golden opportunity. "I really wanted to say `Erie,' " he confessed.